‘American Idol’ Recap: It Kills The Judges To Turn Down A Blind Singer

The final season of ‘American Idol’ is shaping up to be the most emotional yet. Tonight, the judges said ‘yes’ to plenty of hopefuls, but one eager contestant was denied a golden ticket and it was heartbreaking to watch.

American Idol season 15 is literally a rollercoaster of emotions! In the Jan. 20 episode, judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. continue to tour around the USA to listen to more good, bad and ugly auditions. They travel to Little Rock, AK and Philadelphia, PA to seek out the talent, and they’re not disappointed…well, most of the time!

First up is Miranda “Poh” Scott, 17, from Baltimore, MD. She’s predominately a dancer, and she’s self-conscious about her performing skills as a singer. Her sister actually made it to the top 24 during season 14, but Poh holds her own and nails “Fairytale” by Sara Bareilles. JLo loves her “attitude”, and Poh gets a golden ticket!

Amelia Eisenhauer, 15, from Tennessee, brings a Samurai sword with her to the audition…though she doesn’t bring it into the judges’ room, opting for a fiddle instead as she belts out “Many Rivers To Cross” by Annie Lennox. “I love a strong voice,” JLo tells Amelia, and Harry says she has a “mysterious quality” to her! It’s three “yeses” — not bad for a high schooler.

Joy Dove, 21, from Louisiana, slays “Jambalaya” by Hank Williams — she has amazing rhythm and sings loudly and well. Harry says she’s got a great vibe, and it’s three yeses once again!

In Atlanta, GA, the judges discover MacKenzie Bourg, a 23-year-old musician from Louisiana, shares the same birthday and home state as Harry! He performs an incredible medley of the judges’ songs, including Keith Urban’s “Stupid Boy”, Harry’s “Come By Me” and JLo’s “Love Don’t Cost A Thing”. “You are a smart son of a gun,” Harry admits. MacKenzie is as adorable as his voice is beautiful, and he was actually on The Voice during season 3 before being eliminated. Now he’s got another shot, and he accepts his ticket with a huge smile!

Andrew and Aaron Birdwell are self-proclaimed “nerds” and brothers from Michigan, and they do the unexpected: they audition by performing a duet! They do an a capella version of “Automatonic Electronic Harmonics” by David Michael Bennett, but it doesn’t quite land. In fact, it’s totally weird and Harry straight up laughs during the performance. Bye!

Jenna Renae is a cute 23-year-old from New York, and she plays piano and soulfully sings Eric Paslay‘s “She Don’t Love You”. She gets three yeses and may just be the next Sara Bareilles — she certainly sounds just like her!

Are you ready for the feels? In Philadelphia, Mario Bonds, 27, from Washington, D.C. is blind, but that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his dreams, and he croons “Inseparable” by Natalie Cole for the judges. He has a strong voice and great energy, but he’s a little off-key at times and it breaks the judges’ hearts to deny him. He cries as he leaves the room and it’s so sad, but after all, not everyone is meant to be a superstar.

Adam Lasher, 28, from California returns for another shot at the competition (he tried out during Season 14 and has since lost the long hair and headband). He performs a samba version of the classic Bob Dylan tune “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”. “It’s one thing to be good and sound good, but it’s another to connect with who you’re singing to, and I think I have a second chance to do it,” Adam says about auditioning again. Fortunately, he gets three yeses!

Another repeat auditioner is Emily Brooke, 16, from Florida. She’s been working hard in the last year to improve her performance skills per the judges’ advice, and this time, she blows the judges away with “Careless” by RaeLynn. They’re impressed that she followed their advice, and she gets a golden ticket!

HollywoodLifers, what did you think of this round of auditions? Let us know!